Legend of Zelda: False Dawn
by flamingparadox169
Summary: Two years after the Twilight War and things are finally settled down. But when a new threat emerges and the hopes of all of Hyrule rest once again on the Hero's shoulders. Yet even heroes need something to fight for...
1. Prologue

Two Years… Had it really been two years… Two Years since the Thief King had been defeated for good? Two years since the Triforce of Power had returned to the Sacred Realm to await its new wielder? Two years since Hyrule Castle had been blown up by that tempestuous little Imp in an attempt to kill Ganondorf? Two years since the woman he loved had left him, and shattered his heart just as effectively as she had shattered the Mirror? He couldn't believe it had been that long… Sure, he had been busy… The repair and restoration of Hyrule and its castle, the whipping into shape the pathetic excuse of an army, the fallout of the Twilight War… All of those had taken time… But two years? He stroked the necklace beneath his tunic. Zelda had always said that time wound heal his wounds… She was right, of course. That woman was almost never wrong… His body had healed from the trials he had been through… the scars were still there but they always would be… He was fine, physically… For Din's sake, he had had more than enough time for his body to heal… His heart, however, was still as broken as the day the Mirror was rendered into millions of pieces… She had said that it would take a long time, but he would begin to see that _Her_ choice was the right one… She had said this as she held him tight to her, in the room on top of the ancient desert prison… And he hoped she was right… Zelda was almost never wrong… But in those hours, the hours where _Her_ world intersected with his, he often prayed to the Goddesses that _She_ would find a way back to him… He turned away from the Obsidian Shrine that Zelda had ordered to be erected in front of the Castle; the one in honor of those who gave everything in the Twilight War. As he walked through the streets of Castle Town, he continued to stroke the Necklace under his tunic. He had moved on and was now the General of Hyrule's Armed Forces. The men whom had cowered when Zant had attacked now stood proudly on guard by the gate to Hyrule field, saluting him as he walked by into the darkening plain. He had turned the joke of the Kingdom into something to be proud of. Their gleaming armor with the golden wolf Etched onto the surface was a beacon in the darkness. But even after all he had done, it didn't soothe the aching of his rendered heart…

He continued out into the field, occasionally looking around him. After the King Bulblin had chosen to serve Link over Ganondorf, Hyrule field had become far safer to wander at night. Only the occasional creature tried to attack a night time traveler. Any creature that tried usually didn't last long. His patrol's all had at least one archer equipped with a Hawkeye. But he knew where they went and where they didn't. The men at the gates had a running pool with the Field Patrol as to where he went on nights with this. Smart money said that the General was sweet on a girl from his home town. He allowed the betting to think that and had only minor scolded Captain Fado about starting that rumor. He and Illa was many thing but Lovers wasn't one of them. She had been asked by Prince Ralis to be an Advisor on his Conceal, the only human given such an Honor. She was exceedingly happy there.

He created a hill and finally dropped out of sight of the Guards on the walls. He sighed and pulled a golden chain from under his tunic, looking at the black and orange crystal hanging in a golden frame. This had been the only thing _She _had left to remind him of those times… well, his pack that she had enchanted to, but that wasn't such a big deal. The Wolf Stone, as he called it, was something only he could use… Zelda had removed the evil influence from it as well as tuning it to him. He had then taken it to a jeweler to get it mounted… along with a little something he had been carrying since that day… Making sure there was nobody else around, he grabbed the stone and activated it. With a swirl of black energy, he changed back into the Wolf. He leaned back and howled up at the moon before taking off running down across the field. He rarely used the Wolf stone these days, being far too busy with his other duties to get away. But tonight was special… Tonight, he would run free and be one with the only thing that allowed him to remember _Her _and not immediately want to curl up in a ball and sob his heart out. He kept running, care free but hurting, missing the weight that would have filled the space on his back. For hours he ran, eventually stopping on the edge of Lake Hylia. He looked over towards the pathway Zelda and the King Bulblin had designed… The one that allowed easier access into the Gerudo Desert… This was as far as he ever went. But tonight felt different… Tonight, he felt like something was finally beginning to change. HE sat on the sandy shore of the Lake and looked up at the moon… Maybe Zelda had been right… Maybe it was time to let go… He Changed back into his normal form and drew his sword from the sheath on his back. After defeating Ganondorf, he had returned the Master Sword to its rightful place… It would finally have the chance to rest in peace. Zelda had then commissioned a new blade for him. She named it the Blade of Courage and had used it to Knight him as well as make him general of her Armies. Spinning the blade in his hand, he stabbed it into the shore in front of him and gave a long, drawn out cry of pain, venting all of his pent up anger, hurt and loss in one feral yell… When he had finished, Link drew the sword from the ground, carefully wiped it off on the green tunic he had inherited from the Hero who came before him, and sheathed it. Before turning back into a wolf, he glanced in the direction where he knew the arbiter's grounds to be and whispered, "Good Bye, Midna." Silently, he turned back into the wolf and ran off, back towards the Castle, back home.

Link didn't know it, but his heartfelt scene had been witnessed by two others. Neither of the watchers knew the other was there, but both saw his good bye. One was sitting in a tree, her arm wrapped around the sturdy branch she was sitting on… She wore a bow across her back, a katana on her hip, a full quiver of barbed arrows slung on her shoulder. Her blood red eyes, so adapted to the dark the she could see as clearly now as during high noon, saw his entire scene. As the cry echoed through the night, a single tear ran down her face, seeming to stop for a moment on the tattooed tear on her cheek before continuing its path, getting absorbed by the thick white cloth covering the lower half of her face. She silently stood and walked down the branch, landing noiselessly on the ground. Her garb was that of the Shiekah, her hair, tied up in a ponytail running down her back, shimmered silver in the moonlight. Her hands were covered in leather gauntlets but the backs of her hands were still visible. On the back of her Left hand was the traditional mark of the Shiekah. Her name was Cleah, and she had a mission given to her by Impaz herself. Find the Hero and help him with the dangers that were coming… With a subtle flicker of gold, she faded from sight completely and took off after the Hero of Twilight.

The other watcher had watched the scene from the shadow of a rock on the shore. She changed back from the shadow to her normal form, her Twil markings a blue blaze of power. She watched as Link charged off into the night, her smile wide as she watched him. She knew where he was heading… And he would arrive there just in time for her little surprise to meet him. Her smile grew wider as she pulled a small red stone out of her Twil pocket. A face appeared on it, awaiting instruction. "Once you see the hero arrive, begin your assault." The face smiled and nodded before vanishing from the stone. The Twil changed back into a shadow and took flight, slowly headed in the general Direction of Castle town. If her calculations were right, and they were never wrong, she would arrive in the air space of Castle town just in time for the fireworks to begin. She smiled again. Her plans for the revenge of her Master was just about to come to fruition. She couldn't wait for the fun to start.


	2. Attack and Loss

Princess Zelda sighed and put down her quill, looking out of her study window into the darkening sky. As much as she loved her people, she wished it didn't involve so much paperwork. Her kingdom was finally back to normal and things seemed to be thriving. Trade was up between the different races and the Shiekah had come back from Old Karakino in numbers that hadn't been seen in many years. She even had a Shiekah guard now, which she hadn't during Zant's invasion. All of her advisors said the Hyrule looked to be on the brink of another Golden age… and yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. She glanced down at her right hand, looking at the mark of the Triforce there. The bearer of the Triforce of wisdom had always been gifted with a second sight. Usually in dreams, they traditionally saw dangers before they happened… In age's where there was a Hero, her ancestors who had the mark usually advised the Hero and helped them defeat whatever evil was threatening the kingdom… Granted, that evil usually was Ganondorf… But Link had defeated him for good. Ganondorfs body had been carted to the desert and buried there in an unmarked grave, among the graves of his kind… The Gerudo had died out many years ago, in one of their many conflicts with Hyrule. That Zelda, whom had lost plenty to the fierce warrior women, decided to eradicate them and rid the world of the trouble of them… Now a day, many saw that as a bad idea. But the past is set and only an extreme force would change it. She smiled softly to herself at that. She was fairly certain that an "Extreme force" Was locked away in one of the many secret vaults under Hyrule Castle. She herself had been in several of them throughout the years. And while she had never found the Ocarina of Time in one of them, she had found several magical items that had once belonged to some of the previous heroes.

A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought. "Enter," She called, glancing to be sure her Shiekah guard was still there. In reality, she had 6 guards. Part of Shiekah training was the fact that for every one visible guard, there were at least 5 who weren't. Only the best got to be the Royal guards, and only the very best of them were allowed to be her visible guard. Calla, her constant companion and visible guard, nodded to her. Zelda noticed her ever so slightly draw a Shiekah needle from a pouch. Her guards took their job very seriously, treating each time the door opened as a possible assassination attempt. The door opened and one of the castle guards stood at attention outside. She smiled at him. "What brings you hear at this time of day, Captain Fado?" The man who had once been in charge on the ranch in Link's home town took a step into the room and saluted.

"Ma'am, you requested to know whenever General Link left for the fields unaccompanied. I came to inform you that the Guards at the gate just sent word the he had left. The man also mentioned that the General seemed to be out of sorts." Zelda sighed and glance over to one of the charts on her study wall. She motioned to Fado.

"Take a seat captain." He followed, sitting in one of the chairs by the fire and turning it to face her. Zelda placed her hands on her forehead and gently massaged her temples. "Tell me Captain, how much of the story have you heard about Link's involvement in the Twilight war?"

Fado fidgeted in his seat for a moment before looking into her eyes. "Permission to speak freely ma'am?" Zelda nodded her assent. Fado pulled off his helmet and placed it on the table beside him. "To be blunt my lady, Link doesn't like to talk about it. Not just with me, but with anybody. Even Rusl, the man he considers his father, doesn't know anything about link's involvement. We only know that which you told us in your speech. I highly doubt the Illa even knows, though I know she tried her hardest to talk to him about it. Any time we bring it up; he gets this distantly painful look in his eyes and promptly changes the subject." He looked over at Zelda. "In our opinion, he doesn't talk about it because it's painful… Illa said that when he was helping Prince Ralis with that incident about a year ago, she visited his room to try to get him to talk… She found him thrashing about in his sleep, calling out for somebody… It scared her something fierce…" He looked away and stood. "I think something about that business is still hurting him to this day Ma'am." He puts his helmet back on and looks again at Zelda. "With your leave, I shall return to my duties."

"Your care for your friend shows with your candidness Captain. Thank you for being honest with me, you may return to duty." He saluted and left her, closing the door silently behind him. Zelda sighed with frustration and leaned back in her chair. "Calla, have any of your Shiekah managed to successfully follow Link when he leaves?" Calla sat down in thaw chair that Fado had previously occupied.

"No, Zelda, they have not been successful. The fact that they haven't causes me no small amount of shame. We are the best the Shiekah have to offer and we cannot follow a former Ranch hand." Zelda chuckled softly.

"Have you stopped to consider that that may be your problem? Don't think that just because he used to herd goats doesn't mean he isn't skilled. That man is a terror for his enemies. He DID manage to drive back the Twilight and defeat the most powerful foe that this world has seen in 4000 years." Calla pondered this for a moment.

"I hadn't considered this… I will be sure to remember that next-…" The rest of her sentence was drowned out by a huge explosion. The entire castle seemed to shake with the force of it, Zelda and Calla hurried to the window as a huge column of fire flickered from Castle town.

"Sound the alarm! Castle Town is under attack!" Calla nodded and seemed to vanish from sight. As soon as she did, a different Shiekah appeared from nowhere and firmly grabbed her arm. "Come Princess, we must get you to safety!" Zelda follow her Shiekah guard out of the room, saying a silent prayer to the goddesses that link would arrive in time.

Link arrived outside the town, out of sight of the guards and sat the from a moment, panting from exhaustion. The run to Lake Hylia was not a short one and he had run flat out there and back. Shaking himself all over, he transformed back into his normal form and stretched. He never knew how he knew that the attack was coming. It wasn't the first time this had happened. His best guess was that it was one of the benefits of the Triforce of courage, but he always knew when he was about to be attacked. He moved on instinct, rolling to the side and drawing his sword as he came back to his feet. What he saw sent a shiver of apprehension through his body. Somehow, a Darknut had snuck up behind him. He rolled away from the next attack and stopped worrying about what it could mean. He stopped worrying about the others he cared for. His mind focused on the task at hand. In an instant. He remembered how to best deal with these heavily armored foes. Rushing forwards with bold speed, he bashed aside his foe's weapon with his shield and jumped over the Darknut head, the Blade of Courage earing through its helmet with bloody ease. As he dropped to the ground, he spun around and slashed down the creatures back, shredding armor and flesh as he landed, and ready for its next attack. The Darknut spun and delivered and two-handed blow to Links shield. The force of its attack made Link's boots sink slightly into the dirt but his shield held. Rolling to the side, link crouched and waited for his attacker to rush him, as he did, links dived under its attack and thrusted through the creature's chest. On a normal creature, this would have been a fatal blow, but Darknut were creature of an evil magic, thus, they were much harder to kill. As, he retracted his sword and back-flipped away, he pulled a bomb from his enchanted bag and dropped it at the Darknut feet. He took a couple steps back and shielded himself as the Darknut, still trying to recover from the serious attack, looked down at the bomb just in time to see the fuse disappear inside the black sphere.

With an earsplitting boom and a flash of fire, the bomb exploded, taking out the Darknut and making a small crater in the ground. With a small flourish, link sheathed his sword. Now that the fight was over, the worry came back. What was a Darknut doing this close to castle town? Furthermore, what was a Darknut even doing out AT ALL? Darknuts only showed themselves when a powerful evil was afoot. _'I hope this wasn't the precursor to something-'A_ plume of flame interrupted his thoughts. He whirled around and saw a cloud of red fire rising from inside the walls of Castle town. Cursing loudly, he drew his sword and ran to the gates. Castle town was under attack!

Captain Fado was in a serious state of concern. He had barely left the castle walls when there was a massive explosion. Now he was alongside his men, fighting for his life against creatures that shouldn't even still exist; creature that seemed to be made of pure black energy and with no discernable eyes. He blocked a powerful slash with his shield and countered with a thrust through the chest. The creature let out a dreadful howl and collapsed before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Had this attack happened before Link had taken over, the battle would have been over in seconds, with the Hyrule Guard on the losing side. Two years of hard training had made the difference. Fado rallied his men and with a loud battle cry, they charged towards the center of town, striking down all in their way. What they say upon entering the square made their hearts sink. Several building was ingulphed in flames that seemed to be alive, traving against the wind and jumping from roof to roof. He turned to his men. "Half of you get a bucket line going! We need to put that fire out before the whole town goes up. The rest of you, do what you can to clear out civilians." With nods of understanding, his men hurried to follow his orders. As Fado looked around for any sign of trouble, he failed to notice the shadowy outline sneaking up behind him. The creature silently drew a short sword and raised it above its head to perform a fatal blow. As the sword came down, there was a sharp twang as an arrow brushed past fado's ear and into the throat of the creature. Fado whirled to see the black skinned creature crumple to the ground, its blue markings fading slightly. Fado turned back around to see link at the complete other end of the square, his bow out and another arrow knocked and ready.

Fado raised his voice to be heard over the roar of the flames, his calm voice not betraying how shaky he was at his brush with death. "Nice shot Link." Link merely smiled and slung his bow over his shoulder before pulling a faintly green glowing boomerang out of his pack, with a flick of his wrist, the boomerang flew forwards towards the nearest fire. There was a rush of wind as the boomerang swirled around, putting out the flames with a great rush of wind. Fado watched in amazement as the Boomerang traveled from fire to fire, putting out each flame with the same huge rush of wind. Once the last fire had been put out, the boomerang flew back to link and he tucked it into his bag, along with his bow and quiver.

The two men meet in the middle of the square. "What seems to be attacking us this time Fado?" Link said with extreme casualness. Fado knew better though.

"I was hoping you could tell me Link. I aint ever seen creature like these before." Link nodded and together they walked over to the assassin that Link had shot. Upon seeing the creature, links face became a stony mask. Fado looked first at the creature, and then at link. The utter lack of emotion on Link's face sent a shiver down his spine. "I take it from your expression that you know what these creatures are?" Link gave Fado a hard look.

"They aren't creatures, Fado… They are called the Twili. And they are usually as peaceful as a lamb." Link pulled his arrow from the assassin and closed the creature's eyes with his hand. Then he stood. "Gather up your men as quickly as you can and head over to telma's. Tell her I sent you for my special torches. Ignite them and place them wherever you can. Then begin patrols." He glanced over to Fado and sighed at his confused expression. "The Twili are creatures of Shadow. They can take hide in even the smallest shadows and jump out at will. There biggest weakness is light. Anything stronger than Starlight burns them." Fado nodded and hurried off. Link looked around the square one last time before running to the castle. He needed to reach Zelda before her guards hid her away. He would need to her magic to help secure the town. Before he was half way to the castle, he felt the shift. Glancing up, he saw the sky above the fountain shimmer and take on the golden hue he knew so well. With a curse, he reached into his bag and pulled out a large sliver horn. He blew three long calls with it and heard others take up the call. The evacuation alarm had been sounded. Castle town may be lost, But its people would not be trapped once again in the Twilight. Quickly putting the horn away, he grasped the Wolf stone and changed into his creature form. He would need its speed to reach Zelda in time. With A clatter of claws, he took off to find Zelda.

Zelda and her Shiekah guards were almost to the escape tunnel when they heard the evacuation alarm. Zelda skidded to a halt and changed direction. Her guards followed and their leader gave her a questioning look. "If Link or Captain Fado called for an evacuation then Castle town is lost and the castle will soon follow. There are several Vault in this area that need to be sealed, Including the Vault of the Hero. There are also several useful items we can grab there." The Shiekah guard nodded and easily kept pace with her. They ran through several twists and turn before arriving at what appeared to be a dead end. Stopping in front of the wall, Zelda put her hand against a brick and muttered something under her breath. The Triforce symbol on her hand flashed and the brick wall simply vanish, opening an archway to a vault filled with various objects. Zelda looked at her guards. "Hold the door while I grab what we need. And for Farore's sake, do not touch anything. Her guards nodded and faded from sight around the door. Zelda hurried down the shelves, grabbing several Items and placing wards on others. She was in a back corner having a very rapid debate about grabbing the Hero's Quiver when there was a loud clattering as well as several warning shouts. She hurried back to the door, a ball of destructive energy in her hands when she saw the wolf jump over the heads over the surprised Shiekah and change into Link in mid-air. He landed with a roll to displace the force of impact and got to his feet, quickly brushing off some dust from his tunic. He turned to her nodded, as if this sort of thing happened on a daily basis. _Although for him, it just might._ She quickly dispels the ball of energy and hurries over to him. "What happened? Who is attacking us?" Even with her second sight and massive amounts of instincts, even she didn't see his answer coming.

"Twili, by the looks of it. Someone powerful enough to begin to cover Castle town in a veil of twilight once again." Zelda looked at him in shock.

"I don't even know how that is possible! Midna broke the only way between the worlds!" He winced slightly at her name but his voice was steady.

"Apparently not. Did you grab what ou needed from here? I don't exactly know how long we have before the entire town is covered in Twilight. Where exactly are-"He broke off and whirled around, seeming to grab something invisible around the throat. There was a slight gurgling noise and a Shiekah snapped into view. Upon seeing her, the other five Shiekah drew their swords and stood ready to attack. Link looked her over before glancing to Zelda. "I judge by your friend's reactions that she isn't one of yours?" Zelda slung the quiver over her shoulder and looked the Shiekah over.

"Her resemblance to Calla is remarkable but it isn't her. Link, you may want to loosen your grip. Her face is turning blue." Link slackens his grip and the Shiekah gasped in air.

When she spoke, her voice was calm and level and she looked directly into Zelda's eyes. "I great you my lady. I was sent by Impaz to help you and The Hero. It seems I arrived too late." She turned to look link in the eyes. "I see the stories of the Hero were not exaggerated. My name is Cleah and the reason I look like Calla is simple. She is my sister." Link glanced at Zelda, who gave him a quick nod. He removed his hand from Cleah's throat and took a step back.

"Sorry about that." He said. She shrugged.

"I was trying to sneak up on you in a warzone." She rubbed her throat and winced. "Won't do that ever again. Speaking of Calla, where is she?" Before anybody could answer, the entire castle shook violently.

"No time for small talk, we need to leave. And quickly." Zelda nodded and the three of the hurried to the archway. As they passed through, Zelda grabbed a blue jar from a pedestal next to the Archway. The wall reappeared and they heard several loud clanks and an even louder crackle of energy as the Vault sealed and set several traps inside. The castle shook again, more violently than before. Link glanced around him. "I assume you were headed for the emergency tunnels when you heard the alarm?" Zelda nodded and handed link the jar. He gave her a skeptical look. "What exactly am I supposed to do with this?"

"Put it in your pack and whatever you do, don't open it. It's one of several artifacts I brought from the Vault." Link shrugged and opened his hip bag.

"How are you going to fit that huge jar in such a little bag?" Cleah asked.

Link smiled wickedly and shoved the jar in. "trade secret. Now, if you ladies would hop on, we should really hurry." His grasped the necklace and changed back into the wolf. Only now did Zelda realize just how BIG link was in this form. The two of them easily fit on his back. As soon as they were situated, he took off down the twisting halls, the Shiekah guards running behind them. As they approached the exit, someone staggered out of a side passage and slid to the ground, leaving a streak of red on the wall. Link skidded to a stop next to the person and he heard Zelda and Cleah gasp. Another Shiekah rushed forwards and began cursing in a language Link didn't understand. He knew plenty about wounds though, and a quick glance confirmed what his other senses were telling him. The person before him would not live though the night. He lowers himself down next to the person and gave the other Shiekah a look. He got the point and carefully lifted the woman onto his back. He got back to his feet and as smoothly as he could, continued to run to the exit. The wetness that began to drip onto his fur made him curse in his head. He knew the woman wouldn't last much longer but they had to get out of there.

Finally, they reached the emergency tunnel. One of the Shiekah pressed their palm against the wall, which faded out, allowing them to exit. A short while later, they were in Hyrule field. He quickly sent out for a nearby place he knew of that would give them shelter. He only prayed that the woman on his back would last long enough to get there.

If they had looked behind them, they would have seen the entirety of castle town become covered in a golden dome with the castle at its peak. In the throne room of the castle, a Twil woman sat, smiling. Her plan had worked even better than she had hoped. The castle was hers and she had an excellent staging area for her troops. Still smiling, she pulled out the little red stone. A face appeared on it. "Your orders, my queen?"

The woman's smile grew wider. "Begin your assault. Let us show the Twilight Princess what it really means to wield power."

The man nodded, a cruel grin forming on his face. "By your command, it shall be done." The man faded from the stone. The woman longed back in the throne, the grin on her face even wider than before. She had taken the first steps in avenging her master.


	3. Coup D'état

Princess Midna looked across her realm, morosely pondering taking a dive off the edge. It wouldn't be suicidal, as flight was a simple magic, but it would seriously shake up the monotony of her day to day life. Repairs had been simple; in a realm where everybody had magic, it made life both very easy and very difficult. Easy for domestic repairs, much more difficult in terms of the law. And then there was the emotional damage that Zant had caused. Almost a quarter of the population had been reported missing.

There was something about that number that seemed odd to her. She had personally been there when Link had killed each and every one of the Monsters that her people had become. But judging by the numbers that had been reported missing, it was far less than the ones Link had killed. She sighed and kept looking at her kingdom.

There was so much on her mind that she didn't notice the man behind her until he cleared his throat. She jumped and whirled around to see Cain standing behind her. He was large for a Twili and even more unusual for the fact that he had a broad sword on his back. He was her personal bodyguard and attendant.

He was one of 6 Twili that had seen Link in action and he had said that he was going to be as good as him one day. She had promoted him on the spot. Anyone who wanted to be like Link was perfect in her book.

_Link… _The thought of him made her heart ache. She had done what was needed for her people by shattering the Mirror but it had cost her dearly. The emotional wounds still wrung her heart every time she had too much on her mind. Her dreams weren't helping either.

She suddenly realized she was staring at Cain and cursed her mental state. Cain, knowing Midna as very few did these days didn't seem to mind. He was still standing at attention, waiting.

"What seems to be the trouble Cain? I thought I said not to be disturbed unless it was urgent. Cain bowed his head before smiling at her.

"I believe your exact words were 'Do not disturb me unless the entire Kingdom is in utter ruins if you like your body in its current shape', my lady. However, something has come to my attention the requires your… Intervention." The way he worded that seemed odd to Midna but she couldn't put her finger on why. Shrugging off the feeling, she gave Cain her full attention.

"Since I didn't see huge clouds of smoke coming from the lands, I assume it's not the emanate destruction of all I care for?" His face took on an expression that troubled her greatly.

"My lady, Nero has been doing his scryings as you asked. One of the locations you asked him to scry has had a major attack… I believe you called it Castle Town?" Midna's heart sank like her hero in his iron boots. She immediately beckoned him to follow her.

"Who exactly was it that attacked?" She asked as they hurriedly strode down the halls of the Palace. He hesitated before replying.

"My lady, the scrying is a newer magic, so the reports may be wrong but… By all accounts, it appears we did." That caused Midna to stop dead in her tracks. She whirled around to face him.

"What do you mean WE attacked Castle town?! The Mirror was destroyed and Twili can't survive for long in the World of light." Cain's face remained calm despite her rising ire.

"From what we have been able to see, a large group of shadow beasts as well as a number of regular Twili attacked in the dead of night. We lost contact shortly after the attack due to a magical disturbance in the area. I asked Nero to prepare a viewing of what we found. He managed to record almost all of it." Before he had even finished, Midna and turned and was hurrying towards the Magical Annex. He immediately ran after her, his loose robe billowing behind him.

The Magical Annex was the only part of the Palace the public could enter without an escort. It was the center of magical learning in the Twilight Realm. Cain was the former leader of the Annex until Midna promoted him. His successor, Nero, had done a lot to improve the place as well as developed new ways to use magic. The scrying mirror and its recording system were entirely his invention. Once he had shown it to her, she had him do daily scrying of the kingdom, as well as several areas in the World of the light. It allowed her to keep tabs on her kingdom as well as watch Link from afar.

Within a few moments, they had arrived in Nero's Lab. The room was full of various vapors and devices she had only the general grasp of. Nero was standing in front of a mirror with a black crystal in his hand. He bowed as Midna and Cain entered. "My lady, I did not expect you so soon after sending Cain to fetch you."

Midna nodded, barely winded from the run. "An attack on the world of the light by our own people warranted haste. Show me what you have." Nero nodded and pressed the crystal into the mirror. An image slowly faded into view.

Castle town was burning. She saw a group of soldiers fighting shadow beasts and effectively winning. The fires she recognized as magical flames. Ones that grew of their own accord and spread illogically. Her heart leapt into her throat as a green glowing whirlwind put out the flames. The view shifted to focus on Link. He was still wearing his tunic and his face had a look of grim determination. He caught the Gale Boomerang as it came back to him and the view shifted again. From high above the courtyard, she could see the destruction. Several buildings were completely burned but Link's actions had saved most of the town. The view suddenly started to shift and warp before abruptly fading out.

"At that point my lady, the was a massive surge of magic that disrupted my scrying. I have tried since then to regain views of the town but something is blocking my scrying" Midna didn't look at Nero but kept staring at the mirror, as if willing it to show her something to assuage her fears. Cain spoke up.

"My lady?" Midna shook herself and looked to Nero.

"Thank you for showing me this. Continue to try to regain the view. I am going to retire for now. Send a runner if you regain the view." She swept from the room, keeping an impassive look on her face. Cain stayed behind for a moment before following Midna.

"My lady, I have a question." He sounded hesitant, until she smiled at him.

"Cain, you are one of the few people that I know I can trust. One of the only people I can call a friend. You don't need to ask permission from me." He smiles at her.

"Yes ma'am. My question is, was that the Hero?" Midna smile faded a bit.

"Yes. That was him." Cain nodded and seemed to think for a moment.

"Now it makes sense why you asked Nero to scry those places in the world of the Light. You want to keep tabs on him." She nodded.

"That is correct. He was the only person in that world who was willing to help me… Granted, I didn't give him much choice at first. But, over time, he and I agreed to work together. He helped me retake my throne, as you saw. I would not be here if it wasn't for him." Cain nodded, remembering the battle that took place in the throne room. He opened his mouth to comment but a loud rumbling roar interrupted him. He whirled around and yanked his sword from the sheath on his back. Stepping in front of Midna, he got into a fighting stance. At the other end of the hall, a small horde of shadow beasts stood. He shivered slightly at their sightless faces before turning to face Midna.

"My lady, get yourself to safety. I will deal with them." She shook her head and pointed behind her. Another small horde was at the other end of the hall way. They were trapped. Cain gritted his teeth and got readied his sword as Midna's hands glowed with a dark, violent energy.

"If that's how they are gonna play, then we fight." Midna put her back to him and nodded. With a loud howl, the shadow beasts rushed en mass.

There was a clap of thunder as Midna shot the first few beasts with an arc of black lightning. Behind her, Cain was holding his sword with one hand while in the other glowed with a ball of red energy. With a shout, he thrust his hand forwards, blasting the front ranks of the shadow beasts with an explosion of fire. The beasts kept coming, right over their dead comrades without a second glance. His hands gripped his sword as he slashed, sending a curved blade of black energy from its edge, neatly bisecting several of the creatures. There were several more loud thunderclaps as Midna fired off bolt after bolt of lightning. And still the creatures kept coming. Cain didn't have much combat experience, but he had spent two years doing nothing but study and practice. Midna had given him his sword from the Vault and he had become quite adept with it. As the Shadow Beasts reached him, he cut them down as mercilessly as any warrior. But he knew that in time, one of them would make a mistake. If that happened, then they were both dead.

"Midna, Cover me for a moment." She didn't even reprimand him for not using an honorific but merely nodded and started alternating blasts on both sides of the hall. Cain sheathed his sword and brought his hands together. Power radiated from him as he began to chant.

_"Deus lux est, inquit, da mihi potestatem cecidit pretiosissimo. Unleash your wrath upon the shadows."_ He pointed his hands at the beasts that were close to overwhelming them as his eyes glowed white. _"Sol's Flame!"_

White fire shot from both of his hands and flooded the hallway with pure white light. The shadow beasts cried out before turning to ash. The white fire roared out of the hallways before flickering and fading. Cain fell to his knees, panting hard. He felt a hand brush his shoulder and looked up into Midna's face.

"That was not a normal spell. I should know; I learned most of them. But I didn't recognize either the Incant or the effect." He nodded, still panting hard.

"I wasn't leader of the Magical Annex for nothing. Nero may focus on devices but I focused on spells. I made that one shortly after you promoted me. I had to be careful as the kind of light can kill most Twili. Only the caster and those very close by to him are shielded from that light." Midna nodded and helped Cain to his feet.

"I wonder where those beasts came from." Cain gave Midna a look.

"What I want to know is where else they are. We need to go back to Nero and see if this has anything to do with the attack on Castle Town." Together, they ran back towards the Magical Annex. Before they reached the Annex, something hit Cain in the back. He stumbled forwards and landed sprawled on the ground. Midna looked in time to see a small black crystal sink under his skin. As it faded, his body began to spasm and jerk.

"Beautiful, is it not? Shortly he will be completely under my control." Midna turned slowly to see Nero standing behind her, his arms in his sleeves as he watched Cain convulse on the ground. "It is a pity it will not work on you. No matter, we have other plans for you." He effortlessly deflected the blot of energy Midna shot at him as she backed up. Large clawed hands grabbed her from behind and held her in place. Nero Smirked. "As always, you are pathetically predicable. That spell from Cain was unexpected but not unplanned for. He always was one to keep his cards close to his chest." Cain's body suddenly relaxed and he slowly got to his feet. His normally bright eyes were pure black and he moved jerkily.

Nero smiled and gestured to the shadow beasts restraining Midna. "Cain, you will escort the Princess to the Temple and lock her in the room I prepared for her. After that, you will guard her from any and all. Is that understood?" Cain nodded and walked off, the shadow beasts following behind him as Midna struggled in their grasp.

"NERO! I will not stand for this betrayal! I will see you executed for this!" Midna tried to use her magic and was shocked that she couldn't do anything. Nero waved at her.

"Normally, I would believe you. However, I doubt you will escape this time." He walked away as Midna screamed at him. Upon reaching his lab, he pulled out the red stone. Seconds later, a female face appeared on it.

"My lady, I am happy to report that the Twilight realm is ours." The face on the stone grinned.

"Very good Nero. What did you do with the Princess?"

"Even as we speak, she is being locked in the temple. I used the crystal on Cain and sent him to guard her. Add the traps and creatures I have stored there and it should be more than enough to stop anyone from attempting a rescue."

The woman smiled. "Once again, you have earned the reputation you have. Now, I need you to come to me. We have much to do." Nero bowed his head.

"Of course. I shall be there soon." With that, the stone went blank. Nero grabbed a few things from his lab and stored them in his "pocket" for later. As he stepped into the portal that appeared in front of him, he laughed. Things were afoot, and revenge was coming.


	4. An Apology from the Author

So, This isn't the chapter you wanted, for which I apologize. Real life hit me hard these past two weeks and I am only now getting back into writing. False dawn is going on a brief Hiatus while I work on my new work as well as this one. I can safely say that regular posts will begin again in no longer than two weeks. Also in this time frame, Revival will continue to be updated. By the time the new chapter for False Dawn comes out, I will have also begun posting my newest work, Mass Effect: The brightest days, which is in beta at the moment.

Thanks for your cooperation and support.

Paradox Out


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